Bound for Khartoum Once More 



to allow of their getting actually into it. One 

 youngster got it "in the neck" from his mother, 

 who beat him severely with her trunk for (pre- 

 sumably) being such an ass as to venture too 

 close to the roaring flood. He retired crestfallen, 

 squeaking dismally. There was nothing to be 

 done but to look at them, and it is a picture I 

 shall never forget. My porters got more and 

 more disgusted at our inaction as I had brought 

 them all the way from Bombo, and as they had 

 never been so far north in their lives before, they 

 couldn't be expected to know that the opposite 

 bank of the Nile wasn't ours to play in as we 

 liked, or to work our wicked will in by having a 

 shot at such an apparently easy prey. As soon 

 as they heard that nothing was to be done, and 

 that there was no meat in store for them, they 

 signified their disapproval by hoots and whistles. 

 The peaceful picture over the way underwent 

 a sudden changre. It was like a transformation 

 scene. The elephants trumpeted and squealed ; 

 they charged and rushed about ; trees swayed 

 violently to and fro ; bushes were smashed and 

 the grass was flattened out ; the elephants fled ! 

 I had benefited by the sight, but my entourage 

 thought me a fool. Who cares ? 



Little worth recording occurred onwards to 

 Gondokoro ; and as the journey thence by 

 steamer to Khartoum has already been described, 

 we will draw a veil over that as well. 



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